Syndicate

On Monday, July 9th, all five hosts of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe (SGU) podcast attended a meet-and-greet cosponsored by the Bay Area SGU at Ohlone CollegeSkeptics and the Psychology Department at Ohlone College. Many people have asked me how on earth we were able to pull this off, so I thought I'd share the story.

The Bay Area Skeptic’s SkepTalk of 8 August 2012 attracted a packed house and delivered a riveting program that included a one-hour documentary movie followed by the Skype presence of the movie’s principal character, Matthew LaClair.

The Church of Scientology is known for its famous followers and its reputation for secrecy. In an interview with CBS 5, the great grandson of the church’s founder L. Ron Hubbard blasts Scientology, accusing it of Jamie DeWolfdestroying his family. CLICK HERE to read the article, and watch the embedded video of the interview.

On Wednesday, November 9th, 2011, we were treated to an excellent talk entitled “End of the World Predictions” by Dr. Patrick O’Reilly, psychology professor from U.C. San Francisco.Patrick O'Reilly

Dr. O'Reilly delivered a detailed and interesting one-hour talk about the phenomenon of predicting the end of the world, some religiously motivated, some not. This talk was particularly timely, you'll note, since the popular media has become so interested lately in feeding us stories about such predictions.

OK, the title of this article isn't completely accurate (and it isn't a Grave DowsingBay Area story, but I couldn't help posting it). At this point in the story, it's not demonstrated that ground-penetrating radar is superior to dowsing for locating a cemetery, but I think it's a safe statement. The state of Mississippi wants to build a highway, but properly needs to see if an abandoned cemetery is in the proposed path. The landowner has hired a dowser who claims to be able to find bodies. CLICK HERE for the whole story.

In this ADDITIONAL STORY on the grave dowser, we learn that he can distinguish between male and female bodies by the direction the wires go when he passes over their graves.

Yau-Man ChanMost of us have seen ads for questionable pills, liquids, and powders that promise to give our bodies an extra advantage. Whether it be weight loss, immune system boost, fuller, thicker hair, or younger looking skin, there’s a quick fix being sold for it. In today’s economy, youthfulness and good health are joined at the top of our panic list with a new concern: better gas mileage. But don’t worry! There’s a quick fix for that, too! Or is there?

SkepTalk: Berkeley

If we build homeless housing, won't that just attract more homeless people? I read an article about this cool thing they're doing in Utah, why don't we do that? And what about tiny homes?

Significant research has been done on the causes of and solutions to homelessness, but public knowledge is based more on anecdotes and personal observation than on the social science. This talk will look at some of the most common misconceptions and provide a nuanced, evidence-based response on one of the country's most pressing issues.

WHO: Carrie Ellen Sager, J.D. is Senior Homelessness Program Coordinator for the county of Marin, where she works with local nonprofits and city and county governments to create a coordinated system of care to house the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness. Prior to working in Marin, Carrie worked for HomeBase, a nonprofit law firm that works with cities and counties to implement responses to homelessness. She has a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.